


Cozy Living

by ZeroHorizon



Series: A Series of Cozy Stories [1]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Sana x Mina x A Really Small Bed, Sana x Mina x A Really Small Box, Sana x Mina x A Really Small Sofa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-08-21 22:24:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16585394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeroHorizon/pseuds/ZeroHorizon
Summary: A short story about what happens when Mina wants to do schoolwork and Sana just wants to sit on her lap. Basically Misana fluff that's sweet enough to kill you.





	1. Prologue - Candy Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a Misana prompt posted by [Lighto_Line](https://twitter.com/Lighto_Line/status/1059065083857383425?s=19).
> 
> Follow me on Twitter at @misamosquito
> 
> Spam me with questions on [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/ZeroHorizon)!
> 
>  

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina x Sana x A Really Sweet Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted as part of my one shot collection, "Candy Kisses" is officially the prologue for "Cozy Living". :)

Sana and Mina kissed for the first time at nine years old. The incredibly sweet kiss happened on a day that started off bitter when Mina slipped on the playground and skinned her knee.

A sharp pain rippled through Mina's leg as she fell and the only person who noticed her crying was her classmate Sana, who was by Mina's side in an instant. When it seemed like no amount of soothing and comforting could stop Mina's tears, Sana leaned in and kissed Mina gently on the lips.

It was a quick kiss, chaste and innocent, softer than a marshmallow, and completely effective at stopping Mina's tears.

"What was that?" Mina asked curiously. She rubbed the tears from her eyes as her tongue instinctively darted out to lick her lips, finding a faint sweetness lingering there after Sana's kiss.

"It's a marshmallow kiss," Sana declared with a smile, proud that her actions had stopped Mina's tears.

"Marshmallow kiss?" Mina repeated faintly. The name was fitting for the sweet action. Mina smiled shyly as Sana boldly took her hand and led her to the nurse's office to get cleaned up. They were best friends from then on, bonded over skinned knees, fresh tears, and a kiss named after a marshmallow.

That marshmallow kiss was the first of many over the years as Mina and Sana grew up together, not realizing until much older that it was unusual for friends to share kisses, not caring at all what their peers thought of them as teenagers when marshmallow kisses became lollipop kisses.

They were hanging out in Mina's room the first time it happened, when Sana leaned into Mina at age thirteen with a kiss that was longer than any of their previous kisses. It was an open mouthed kiss, wet and messy, like licking a lollipop, and no longer as innocent as a marshmallow kiss. 

"Do you like it?" Sana asked shyly after they pulled apart from their first lollipop kiss. Her face was red with embarrassment as she waited for Mina's reply. "It's a lollipop kiss."

"I do like it," Mina replied instantly. The kiss was new, it was different. And to Mina, sharing the kiss with Sana somehow felt right. "I like you very much, too," Mina added as she gazed into Sana's blushing face, surprised to find that it was possible for Sana's face to become even redder.

The lollipop kiss was the ultimate kiss for Mina and Sana while they were young teenagers, often sharing the kiss with each other whenever they were alone together, whenever the mood was right, which seemed like always.

Mina felt her heart growing with each passing day, finding it more and more filled with feelings for Sana as they continued to grow up together. And Mina knew that Sana felt the same way about her, too. Mina could sense it through their sweet kisses, through their constantly intertwined hands, through the indescribable affection in Sana's eyes whenever they looked at each other.

It came as no surprise to Mina when one day their lollipop kiss evolved into a more daring kind of kiss. They were nineteen now and living in a cozy apartment together as college students. And on their first night in their new home, while enjoying a lollipop kiss on their tiny sofa, Sana leaned into Mina and deepened the kiss. It was a rough kind of kiss, fiery and hot, with light bites on her lips that made Mina want to melt inside.

Sana gazed down at Mina with a seductive smile on her face, licking her lips as Mina tried to catch her breath. "It's a chocolate kiss. I've been saving this kiss for so long now," Sana whispered, her voice low and hushed with desire. "Do you want it?"

Mina was breathless beneath her girlfriend, but she nodded hungrily, leaning up into Sana's mouth to initiate the next chocolate kiss. "I want it," Mina murmured in between chocolate kisses. "I really, really want you, too."

Sana's arsenal of kisses exploded after that night. Soon there were strawberry kisses that Sana liked to place against Mina's neck and all over her body, deep and bruising kisses that left strawberry red marks against her skin. 

There were jelly kisses, a bitey kind of kiss so aptly named because Sana felt like she was biting into jelly candy whenever her teeth dug gently into Mina's skin.

And then there were cotton candy kisses, a personal favorite of Mina's, a soft, wispy almost ghost of a kiss that Sana loved to trail down Mina's back, across her hips, basically anywhere that caused Mina to squirm with delight.

After a particularly passionate night that included every kiss in Sana's repertoire, after they were both satiated and nestled safely in each other's arms, Sana lovingly placed a soft marshmallow kiss against Mina's lips and asked, "which kind of kiss do you like the most?"

Mina thought about it for a moment, gazing at the sweetness in Sana's eyes before coming up with the perfect answer. "Candy kisses."

"Candy kisses?" Sana repeated with confusion, not recognizing it as a name for any of their kisses.

Mina smiled and took Sana's face gently in both hands, returning the soft marshmallow kiss. "Yes, 'Sattang' kisses. My favorite kiss is any kiss that comes from you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS. If you didn't know, "Sattang" is Sana's Japanese nickname and it also means "candy" in Korean.


	2. Cozy Sitting

Sana and Mina liked to call their apartment "cozy". It was all they could afford as poor college students, a tiny one bedroom apartment, but it was perfect for them. They had been sleeping together since they moved in during freshman year, so one bedroom suited them just fine. The furniture they owned could be counted on one hand--a bed, a TV, a coffee table that tripled as a dining table and desk, and a sofa--but it was all they really needed.

Sana especially adored their sofa. It was comfortable and it was tiny, which meant that Mina and Sana spent a lot of their time at the apartment cozily squished next to each other whether they were watching TV, playing games, or eating. At the moment, Mina was writing her midterm paper with her laptop on her lap while Sana sat next to her and played on her phone.

This was one of the rare occasions where Sana wasn't having fun while sharing the sofa with Mina. The older girl sighed quietly as she gazed at Mina's focused expression. Mina's attention had been devoted to schoolwork for the last three hours. And while Sana fully understood the importance of prioritizing schoolwork, she was lonely, to put it mildly.

"Mittang?" Sana asked gently.

"Hmm?" came Mina's distracted reply, her eyes never leaving her laptop screen.

Sana tried again. "Minari?"

"Hmm?"

Sana pouted at the lazy reply. "Mina-chan..."

"One second," Mina murmured as her fingers flew across the keyboard.

The older girl sighed again. She put down her phone and turned on her most dangerous voice. "Myoui Mina-san."

The sharp edge to Sana's voice finally caught Mina's attention. She turned away from the laptop and looked in Sana's direction, her fiercely focused expression melting into an affectionate gaze that made Sana's heart flutter. It was amazing how a little bit of attention could make Sana forget any stretch of time that Mina ignored her for schoolwork.

"Using my full name, huh? Should I be scared?" Mina asked playfully, not at all frightened. Sana was the softest girlfriend ever, even when she was mad, and Mina was reminded of Sana's softness as she watched a pouty Sana take her laptop hostage before climbing sideways into Mina's lap.

Mina bit back an amused smile at Sana's adorable behavior. "Are you looking for affection or sex?"

"Affection," Sana replied firmly, and then her certainty immediately wavered. "...and sex." She pouted again at Mina's smirk. "What? There's nothing wrong with wanting both!"

Mina giggled and brushed the stray hair from Sana's eyes. "There definitely nothing wrong," she confirmed, "but I need to finish this paper. I'm almost done. Give me fifteen more minutes."

"You said that fifteen minutes ago," Sana complained.

"And now I'm fifteen minutes closer to being done. Now scoot," Mina said. She gave Sana's butt a gentle swat to urge Sana off her lap, but Sana was undeterred.

"No. This is the coziest seat in the apartment," she insisted. "I'm not giving it up."

"This sofa or my lap?"

Sana narrowed her eyes at Mina's feigned ignorance, Mina's eyes sparkling mischievously all the while. They both knew how much Sana loved sitting on Mina's lap.

Mina finally decided that she had teased and neglected Sana long enough. Wrapping her arms gently around Sana's waist, she began to trail cotton candy kisses down Sana's neck, enjoying Sana's soft whines of approval. Sana shivered with delight as Mina's lips moved to the skin beneath her ear.

Mina's lap was truly the coziest place Sana had ever known. It was safe and warm within Mina's arms, with Mina's pillowy lap supporting her from below. In their tiny apartment on their tiny sofa, she never needed anything more as long as she had Mina.

"Don't drop my laptop," Mina warned as a gentle nip to Sana's ear caused a deep shudder of delight to course through Sana's body.

The older girl smirked and hugged the laptop closer to her chest. "And give up the sole reason you're paying attention to me right now? I think not."

Mina laughed and put her hands on top of Sana's, trying to think of a compromise to free her stolen laptop. "How about for every minute I work on this paper past fifteen minutes, you get one minute to have your way with me when I'm done?"

Sana's eyes widened in delight at the proposal. "You mean it?"

Mina held up three fingers and promised. "Scouts honor."

"Deal," Sana agreed, returning the laptop back to Mina. "But I can't sit away from you for fifteen minutes."

"I can't work with you in my lap though," Mina frowned. "What do you suggest?"

Sana smiled and slid into the empty sofa cushion next to them. Then she pointed at her lap, motioning for Mina to sit on her.

The younger girl smiled dubiously. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

Mina laughed and shook her head. "There's no way I'm getting any work done on your lap. You can't keep your hands off me for even a second."

"I promise I won't bother you," Sana insisted. "Scouts honor!"

"You weren't a girl scout."

"Get your ass over here," Sana demanded.

Five minutes later, Mina's laptop lay discarded on the coffee table, her term paper still fifteen minutes from completion. They had both known it was impossible for Mina to finish her work the moment she climbed into Sana's lap.

In between heated kisses with the girl who was busily unbuttoning her blouse, Sana tried to apologize. "Sorry I distracted you from your schoolwork. I didn't mean to."

"What a lie," Mina mumbled breathlessly into Sana's mouth. She straddled Sana's lap so that they could kiss more comfortably. "But it's OK. I'm sure I can find fifteen minutes before class to finish my paper. I'll just wake up early tomorrow."

Sana pulled back from the kiss, whining at the thought of Mina's warm body abandoning her in bed earlier than usual.

Mina blinked incredulously at the reaction. "Are you kidding me, Sana? I've just given up on schoolwork for you. I'm straddling your lap, undressing you as we speak, and five minutes away from giving you the best orgasm of your life, and you're really going to whine about me getting out of bed early?"

"I can't help it," Sana pouted. "It's so cozy sleeping next to you in the morning. Why do you have to be so cozy all the time?"

Mina couldn't help but smile affectionately as Sana removed her shirt, Sana's lips gently kissing the milky skin between Mina's breasts before she nestled her cheeks there comfortably.

"Don't leave me before you have to," Sana mumbled, and Mina could only hug her girlfriend tightly, warmth permeating her heart because Mina also knew how cozy it was to wake up in their tiny bed with Sana clinging to her.

"The things I do for you," Mina jokingly complained. But she felt her breath catch when Sana lifted her head and looked up at her, bright eyes shining with adoration.

"It's because you love me, and I love you, too," Sana replied simply.

"Yeah," Mina agreed with a loving smile, and Sana rested her head back against Mina's chest. Sana's warm arms embraced her as Mina sat on the coziest seat in the apartment. "Because you love me and I love you, too."


	3. Cozy Sleeping [M]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sana x Mina x Bed

Mina awoke to the feel of a warm hand roaming inside of her shirt. She nearly jolted upright in surprise from a ticklish caress against her breasts, only relaxing a bit once her dream-addled brain realized that it was just Sana's hand that was unconsciously digging within her clothes. Sure enough, as Mina turned to gaze at the beautiful woman lying next to her, Mina's eyes fell upon Sana's slumbering face, a faint, lustful smile on her lips.

Sleep groping. Classic Sana.

This was the danger of sleeping with Sana in such a small bed. The older girl was close enough that sleep groping was a common occurrence for her. Mina struggled between rolling her eyes in annoyance and crinkling them affectionately at Sana's adorable sleep habits when Sana's hand gave her breast a particularly firm squeeze. 

Mina's annoyance won out.

"Damn you, Sana. This was my day to sleep in, too!" Mina murmured, gently extracting Sana's busy hand from her shirt. But the irritation in Mina's voice didn't match her actions as Mina tenderly brought Sana's fingers to her lips. She placed light kisses to each knuckle, watching in amusement as Sana remained fast asleep.

"You don't wake up from this, and yet you woke up the instant I got out of bed early yesterday," Mina idly complained to the sleeping girl, remembering all the whining she had to endure after abandoning Sana in bed.

Mina's midterm paper was due yesterday morning, prompting Mina to wake up extra early yesterday to finish her work since Sana had effectively distracted her the night before. But today was now Saturday, a day off for both of them. And had it not been for Sana's busy hands, it would've been an opportunity for Mina to sleep in for a change.

Mina checked the time. It was 6 AM, even earlier than she had woken up yesterday to finish off her paper. "You'll be the death of me," Mina yawned at Sana, wondering if she should go back to sleep or not.

And almost like it was a response meant to soothe Mina's irritation, a sleeping Sana suddenly murmured, "I love you."

Mina paused mid-yawn and smiled at Sana's peaceful face. She couldn't help but recall the many times that Sana had innocently professed her love like this in her sleep. Sana was a fantastic "sleep do-er" in the sense that Sana often talked to Mina in her sleep, often hugged Mina in her sleep, and had even kissed Mina in her sleep. At this point, Mina was just waiting for the day where Sana decided to have sex with her in her sleep.

"You love me, huh?" Mina murmured back affectionately, knowing that Sana's unconditional love was the one constant that she would always have in her life. "Do you promise to be with me always?"

And although Sana remained asleep, she was unconsciously able to answer her girlfriend's question. "I'll be with you always."

Mina could feel her heart swell with an overwhelming love for Sana in that moment. She and Sana had been together for so long now that there were very few "firsts" for them anymore. Their first confession, first date, first kiss, first 'I love you', first time sleeping together... it was all a thing of the past now. And yet somehow, even though it felt like a lifetime of love had passed between them, sometimes Mina still felt her heart flutter and swell as though everything was happening for the first time.

Mina gently moved in to kiss Sana's lips, smiling as she felt a sleepy Sana respond to her, kissing her back softly. Her smile widened when she felt a little jolt of surprise as Sana woke up mid-kiss, and then Sana's deepening response as she realized what was happening and kissed Mina back more passionately.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Mina murmured.

The older girl, dazed and happy, smiled sleepily in response. "Good morning to you, too, Mittang. And as much as I love it when you wake me up like that, didn't we agree to sleep in this morning?" Sana wondered, glancing at the clock on her nightstand.

Mina narrowed her eyes playfully at her girlfriend. "Sounds like someone doesn't remember their recent episode of sleep groping."

Sana groaned at herself. "Again?" She held up her right hand and slapped it gently with her left. "Bad hand!" she joked.

The younger girl instantly took Sana's scolded hand and returned it to her lips, placing a second set of kisses against each knuckle. "No," Mina corrected. "It's a beautiful hand."

Sana felt her heart melt under Mina's warmth and affection. Mornings like these were Sana's favorite: soft, gentle, slow, and unrushed. She lifted her other hand to Mina's lips and the younger girl kissed the knuckles of her other hand without hesitation.

Sometimes Sana wondered what she did to deserve a woman like Mina in her life. It was too easy to be with Mina, too easy to feel happy and peaceful and overwhelmed with love. She gently rolled over on top of her girlfriend, hands still held within Mina's soft grip.

"Back to my lap, I see," Mina teased, sitting upright against the headboard as Sana sat up to meet her as well. "You can't get enough of this, can you?"

"Nope!" Sana agreed cheerfully. "And I'd like to think, since it's Saturday morning, I'm not distracting you from any schoolwork this time." She leaned into Mina slowly and placed a marshmallow kiss to the younger girl's lips.

"No schoolwork this morning," Mina confirmed. She ran her fingers through Sana's disheveled hair, enjoying how effortlessly beautiful her girlfriend looked after waking up. "You have my undivided attention this morning. So... what do you want to do?"

Sana rolled her eyes as she straddled Mina's hips, feeling that their position made it quite obvious what she wanted them to do. Sana kissed Mina firmly, silently questioning the younger girl, _'Did you really have to ask?'_

And Mina kissed Sana back just as firmly with a smile on her lips. _'I knew. I just wanted to tease you.'_

They made love to each other slowly, Mina tending to Sana first as Sana clung to her amid warm kisses and teasing touches between her thighs. Mina slid her fingers through Sana's wetness, sinking deep inside of her and expecting to wait a few moments for Sana to adjust to her presence, surprised when Sana instantly began grinding against her fingers.

"Good?" Mina asked, trying to keep up with the urgent pace of Sana's needy hips as she cradled Sana on her lap. She pressed her lips against Sana's neck, smiling as she felt Sana nod feverishly, a low moan of pleasure rolling into Mina's ears.

Mina lifted her hips to slide Sana off her lap, wanting to finish Sana with her tongue, but Sana clung to her even tighter, shaking her head as her fingers tightened around Mina's wrist, wordlessly begging her not to stop.

"I'm so close", Sana murmured deliriously, her forehead pressed against Mina's. Her eyes were squeezed shut in concentration. "J-just--" A shudder ran through Sana's body, and Mina could feel herself starting to tremble, too. "Just hold me until the end."

Mina complied with Sana's request, holding her close while continuing to thrust inside of her steadily, her free hand squeezing and massaging Sana's breasts, her lips tracing warm trails up and down Sana's neck and whispering tender words into Sana's ear.

Within moments, the touch of Mina's hands against her body and the caress of words against her heart drew out Sana's orgasm fully. The older girl let out an explosive cry as wave after wave of pure pleasure rippled through her body, Mina's warm embrace helping to guide her through the intense sensations until Sana was a whimpering mess in her arms.

A heavy thud against the bedroom wall let the two lovers know that they had awoken at least one of their apartment neighbors during the heated experience, and they looked at each other in surprise.

"You're just jealous!" Sana pretended to yell back at the wall in a hushed whisper, knowing that their neighbors wouldn't hear her words. They giggled until their stomachs started to ache before Sana turned her attention upon Mina.

The laughter died away in an instant, giving way to a fiery kiss that brought the mood back to the sultry atmosphere from before the interruption. A messy chocolate kiss preceded the trail of bruising strawberry kisses that Sana left down Mina's chest and stomach. The younger girl moaned as Sana buried herself between her thighs, licking and teasing without restraint, forcing Mina to bite the back of her hand to muffle cries that would've been louder than Sana's from moments ago.

"Do you want me to slow down?" Sana asked after a while, lifting her head up while her fingers continued to pleasure the younger girl.

Mina forced herself to remember to breathe as she shook her head no, and Sana sped up the pace to Mina's muffled moans of approval. Sana's hands were squeezing her hips almost painfully, trying to hold Mina still as she squirmed with pleasure. Mina placed a hand on top of Sana's, silently asking as she felt herself starting to topple over the edge. _'Will you be with me always?'_

She felt Sana lift her hand and wrap it around Mina's fingers protectively, holding her steady as Mina gave in and came beneath Sana's tongue. _'I'll be with you always.'_

When they finished, Sana crawled back into Mina's lap and hugged the exhausted younger girl gently.

"No matter what happens, I'll be with you always," Sana murmured into Mina's ear, in case Mina needed the reaffirmation. She did not, but Mina smiled anyway, pleased to hear words that she had been hearing and believing since the moment they fell in love. They laid back down onto their tiny bed and held each other warmly as they drifted back to sleep.


	4. Cozy Patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina waits up for Sana.
> 
> Inspired by these drawings:  
> https://twitter.com/jeongmisahyo/status/1017542580354125824?s=19

One of the simple joys in Sana's life was knowing that Mina would be waiting for her after a long day of school and work. On particularly tiring days, greeting Mina at home was like falling into the comforts of a freshly made bed, warm and calm and inviting.

Tonight was one of those tiring days where Sana was in desperate need of Mina's soothing presence. It was nearly midnight as Sana dragged herself up the last flight of stairs toward their apartment. Sana was tired enough to collapse right there in the hallway for a well-needed bout of sleep, but she held herself together for just a few more moments because she knew Mina was waiting up for her just on the other side of their apartment door.

Sana composed her expression before going inside, not wanting Mina to see the full extent of tonight's stress on her face. She then entered with a bright, "I'm home!", but she stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Mina fast asleep on the sofa.

The TV was on, a steaming mug of coffee sat on the coffee table, and a heavy textbook rested on Mina's chest. Sana smiled at the scene, a gentle warmth building in her heart because she knew that Mina had tried her best to wait up for Sana. The affectionate smile on Sana's face continued to grow as she made her way over to Mina and covered her with a blanket, textbook and all.

Mina looked adorable curled up on their tiny sofa, but Sana wished Mina's expression looked more peaceful as she slept. The younger girl's brow was furrowed in a slight grimace and Sana kissed her forehead gently, once and then twice, feeling a little better when Mina's expression relaxed a bit.

Peaceful sleep was rare for Mina over the past month. It was almost the end of the first semester of senior year, and Mina had fallen behind in her classes despite studying non-stop since the start of the year. Sana remembered coming home one night after class a few weeks ago and finding Mina lying under the covers in bed, a classic sign of Mina feeling overwhelmed with stress. Sana had witnessed this under-the-covers phenomenon since before they were teenagers, wherein Mina literally tried to hide herself from the world when the world became too stressful to bear.

As Sana approached their bed, she could hear Mina crying under the blanket and her heart ached with sympathy, but she knew there was no point in asking Mina what was bothering her right now.

Patience was the key.

So as patiently as the first time Sana waited to kiss Mina on the playground as kids, as patiently as waiting until they were teenagers to kiss more deeply and waiting until they were adults to sleep together for the first time, Sana quietly climbed into her side of their bed, wrapped an arm gently around Mina's waist, and murmured a reassuring, "It's OK Mittang, I'm here for you."

It took about ten minutes for Mina's crying to turn into light sniffles and hiccuppy silence as Sana held her gently. It was only at that point that Sana started trying to coax Mina out of her hiding place, delaying Mina's explanation for just a while longer until Mina was ready to talk about what was wrong.

"Do you want something to drink, Mittang? How about a cup of chamomile tea or some hot chocolate?"

There was a mumble from under the blanket that Sana couldn't quite understand. The older girl strained her ears to catch Mina's words. "What did you say?"

Mina mumbled another response, something that sounded vaguely like "marshmallow".

"Hot chocolate with marshmallows?" Sana guessed. She pushed herself off the bed. "Coming right up!"

As she turned to leave for the kitchen, Sana felt a gentle tug on the hem of her shirt. She turned back to find that Mina had emerged from under the blanket, her eyes red and puffy and stained with tears, yet somehow more beautiful than ever. Mina looked up at Sana with eyes full of sadness and repeated her answer more clearly. "...marshmallow kiss."

Sana smiled affectionately at Mina, unable to refuse such a simple request. She sat down on the edge of their bed and tenderly brushed the hair from Mina's face before placing one soft marshmallow kiss to Mina's lips, then two and then three, over and over again one kiss at a time, like how they used to kiss as kids when they were still innocent, when life was still simple. Sana wondered if Mina was trying to recapture that simple life from before they had to worry about paying rent, passing classes, and preparing for their future careers.

A dozen kisses passed and then a dozen more. Twenty five kisses, twenty six. Sana's lips trailed away from Mina's, scattering kisses all over her face. Twenty seven, twenty eight, her forehead and her cheek. Twenty nine, thirty, thirty one, thirty two, the moles on her face.

"I'll kiss you until you tell me to stop," Sana murmured gently, finding her way back to Mina's lips. Thirty three, thirty four. "I'll kiss you until you smile for me." Thirty five, thirty six. "I'll kiss you until my lips melt into yours and we're stuck together forever."

Thirty seven. And finally, a faint smile grew on Mina's lips from Sana's silly promise and a kiss that was softer than a marshmallow.

Sana wrapped her arms tightly around Mina, hugging her without any demands, without needing to know what was wrong or whether she was feeling better or not. It was simply a hug of reassurance, exactly what Mina needed.

"Sattang, I don't know what to do," Mina mumbled into Sana's shoulder.

"About what?"

"My classes."

Sana listened patiently as Mina told her about falling behind in two of her law classes, undoubtedly her most important classes this semester, after unexpectedly and uncharacteristically scoring poorly on her last tests despite countless nights of studying. The pressure of having to do makeup work and needing to ace the upcoming papers and finals to keep up her grades was just too much to bear.

Sana stroked Mina's hair reassuringly as she held her girlfriend. "I know it's a lot, Mittang, but you can do it. I believe in you."

"But there's no time to do everything I need to do," Mina sniffled. And it was true. In between Mina's other grueling classes and Mina's part time job, Mina and Sana barely had any time for each other lately. Sana couldn't imagine how Mina was going to squeeze any extra work or studying into her existing schedule.

"Then we make time," Sana decided. "Quit your job until the end of the semester and just focus on school."

Mina shook her head quickly. "I can't do that. We need the money. We can't make rent on just your part time job."

"We have some money saved up," Sana said reasonably with a smile. "I'll take on double shifts at my job until the end of the semester. With that and our savings, we'll have more than enough to cover rent."

"You can't. You have school, too!" Mina argued, but Sana's confidence was unshakable. She knew Mina was stressed by the entire situation, but Sana felt no added pressure at the idea of doubling her part time shifts to allow Mina more time to study.

"I can handle it, I promise. My classes are nowhere near as difficult as yours," Sana insisted.

"But--"

Sana hugged Mina firmly, cutting the younger girl off mid-argument because there were times when her fiercely independent and self-sufficient Mina needed help, when she needed Sana to remind her that they needed to rely on each other instead of struggling alone.

"You _can_ and you _will_ leave the income to me for the rest of the semester, OK? I want to do this for you--for us."

Mina pulled back from the hug, the immense guilt evident on her face, but there were times when she needed to remember how strong Sana really was, how much Sana was willing to do and to sacrifice for them, that they needed to rely on each other instead of struggling alone.

Sana gently leaned in to Mina for another marshmallow kiss that melted into a lollipop kiss, slow and tender and loving. "Mittang... you don't have to feel bad, OK? Just remember that I do these things because I love you."

Mina smiled at last and took a deep, cleansing breath. "Thank you, Sattang. I love you, too."

Since that night, life felt like it had hurtled along at breakneck speeds without pause for both of them. Mina spent every spare moment of every day studying and doing school work while Sana spent every spare moment outside of class at her part-time job, trying to provide for them. And even though Sana had willingly taken on the extra burden, she would be lying if she said that the extra shifts weren't exhausting.

But they were finally in the last few days of chaos with the end of the semester nearly in sight. In about a week, Mina's finals would be over and Sana could cut back to her regular work schedule. Until then, as Sana tucked Mina in on their tiny sofa, Sana knew she could continue to work these late night shifts for Mina's sake.

Sana went to the kitchen and microwaved the plate of Japanese curry that Mina had prepared for her dinner. Normally Sana would eat her late dinner on the sofa while chatting with Mina, but tonight she took her plate over to the coffee table and sat on the floor, watching Mina sleep as she ate.

Sana quietly took in the beauty of Mina's perfect lips, Mina's perfect moles, Mina's perfect mix of kindness and playfulness and vulnerability and strength. Mina began to snore lightly in her sleep, and Sana had to hold back a loud laugh at how out-of-place the snoring seemed for an elegant princess like Mina.

It was peaceful moments like these that gave Sana the strength to do whatever she needed to do in order to give Mina the world. The extra shifts that Sana was working right now was definitely a sacrifice on Sana's part, but it was also a long term investment. Because Mina's success in the present meant that they would both have an easier life in the future when they got married and Mina succeeded in her dreams of becoming a lawyer.

Sana paused as she pushed away her empty dinner plate, realizing that this was the first time she ever imagined a real future with Mina. She had never thought about it before, the idea of marrying Mina and sharing a life together. They had been together ever since they were kids, best friends turned lovers, so it was very natural for Sana to imagine being with Mina forever, but she had never put it in terms of marrying Mina, of being Mina's wife.

Was it a strange thought, Sana wondered to herself. She had no clue. They had never discussed the idea of marriage before, so Sana didn't know what Mina thought of their future either aside from their sincere yet vague promises to be with each other always.

Sana mulled over the future as she placed her plate in the sink and then took a quick shower with Mina sleeping all the while. The future seemed so simple whenever she had thought about wanting to be with Mina, but it was suddenly more difficult when she thought about what "being with Mina" really meant.

"I'm still such a child," Sana mumbled to herself as she walked back into the living room in her pajamas. Despite being 21, Sana couldn't consider herself to be an adult yet. She was still a long way from being someone who could take care of Mina properly, but she wanted to learn to be that person one day. For now though, Sana decided to shelve the topic of "the future" for just a little while longer.

"Mittang~," Sana whispered gently. She leaned down and kissed Mina's forehead. "Wakey wakey."

Mina groggily lifted her head. "Sana...?" she asked before wrapping her arms around the older girl, pulling her back onto the sofa. "Welcome home, Sattang. Did I fall asleep?"

Sana giggled, pulling the heavy textbook on Mina's chest out from between them. "If you weren't asleep, you were snoring pretty loudly for an awake person."

Mina pouted and slapped Sana lightly on the arm. "I'm sorry I fell asleep. Was work OK? Did you eat yet? Did you shower yet?"

"Yes, yes, yes, and yes," Sana replied to Mina's questions.

"I only asked three questions, though," Mina yawned. "What's the last 'yes' for?"

"I figured you were wondering whether I had missed you while I was at work. So my answer is 'yes'," Sana explained cheekily.

Mina rolled her eyes. "How about 'yes' for: 'do you wanna shut up and take me to bed'?"

Sana laughed as she felt Mina slide a hand into hers. Without another word, Sana led her sleepy princess to their tiny bed for a well deserved night of sleep.

"And Sattang? My answer is 'yes', too."

"Hmm?" Sana wondered as they climbed into bed. "What was my question?"

Sana couldn't see it, but she felt Mina smirking at her in the darkness. "The question is whatever you want it to be."

Mina's soft snoring filled the room moments later and Sana fell asleep soon after, but not before thinking, "would the answer still be 'yes' if I asked her to marry me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 (final chapter) expected some time at the end of this year. :)
> 
> Please leave a comment or a kudos if you're enjoying the story!


	5. Cozy Christmas, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First of three chapters about a Cozy Christmas. :) I was going to release it all in one chapter but it was getting long (over 5k and still not done yet!!) and the chances of releasing the entire thing before Christmas was getting grim lol. Please enjoy this first chapter. I'm aiming to release the rest before the end of the year!

Exactly one week before Christmas, Mina woke up to find a tiny velvet box on her chest. She picked up the black box and examined it carefully for a moment, and then she promptly froze.

Mina's eyes quickly darted over to Sana's side of the bed, not realizing her girlfriend was already wide awake and observing her every reaction with an affectionate twinkle in her silent gaze. The younger girl's heart started to race. Anyone who saw the kind of box that she was holding would've reached the same conclusion: this was an engagement ring box.

But it couldn't be an engagement ring, could it?

Over the last few weeks, Sana had slowly started bringing up the topic of life after college. The discussions were largely about their careers--Mina's as a lawyer and Sana's as an elementary school teacher--and potential areas of Japan they could move to that would lead to work for both of them. The topic of marriage had also inevitably come up, but they skirted around the topic without actually discussing it, mutually agreeing to wait until after graduation at the end of next semester to talk more seriously about how they felt about the enormous commitment.

 _"So then..."_ Mina thought to herself nervously, _"why am I holding an engagement ring box right now?!"_

"...what is this?" Mina asked Sana cautiously.

Sana smiled back, her mischievous eyes shining more brightly than a night sky full of stars. "Is that how you greet your girlfriend after you wake up? Where's my morning kiss?"

Mina tried to return the smile, but it was a feeble attempt with her heart threatening to explode from anticipation. "Sana, seriously. What is this?"

"It's... It's an early Christmas present. It's my way of telling you how much I love you," Sana replied sincerely. "Open it."

Mina held her breath and opened the box. Her eyes fell upon a tiny piece of folded paper nestled inside, her intense anticipation dissipating into intrigued curiosity. She unfolded the paper and read it out loud.

**[Make breakfast in bed for Mina]**

The paper was outlined in red and green and Mina could see a tiny disclaimer written in Sana's neat handwriting at the bottom:

**[Expires December 19, 2018]**

"A Christmas coupon?" Mina asked with amusement, turning back to Sana.

The older girl nodded brightly. "And not just any Christmas coupon! This one comes with an expiration date."

"I see that," Mina smirked, noticing the expiration was less than a day away. "And it's a very short expiration date. You really wanted to make me breakfast in bed this morning, huh?"

"I did," Sana admitted. "Now that the crazy semester is finally over and we have some time to ourselves, I wanted to spoil you a little. Is that OK?"

A gentle smile tugged at Mina's lips as she gazed at Sana's adorably earnest question. "It's definitely OK," Mina replied, leaning into Sana with a marshmallow kiss that melted between their soft lips. "But Sattang... Did you really have to give me a Christmas coupon in THIS kind of box?"

"Hmm? What's wrong with this box? It's the perfect size, don't you think?" Sana asked innocently, as though she didn't realize that she had almost given Mina a heart attack this morning. Mina really couldn't tell if Sana was feigning innocence or not, so she let the topic of the engagement ring box slide as Sana announced the breakfast menu of pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

Sana leaned into Mina and gave her a caramel kiss, a slow forehead kiss that was almost more intimate than a kiss on the lips, one that left Mina feeling soft and gooey inside in the best possible way. She then got up and headed to the kitchen while Mina relaxed in bed.

"And Mittang?" Sana asked, turning back briefly. "I'm giving you a coupon every day up until Christmas, so it'd be best to not let yourself get too worked up every time you see that box!"

Mina narrowed her playfully eyes at Sana's retreating back. Sana was definitely teasing her.

* * *

The next morning, Mina woke up to find the same little black box on her chest while Sana watched her mischievously again. Remembering the contents of yesterday's box, Mina knew what to expect this time. Sure enough, when Mina opened the box, another Christmas coupon sat inside.

**[Affectionate shower with Sana]**

Mina paused for a moment at the obscure word choice before turning to look at her girlfriend. "'Affectionate shower?'" she repeated blankly. "Is this a coupon for shower sex with you?"

Sana blushed slightly under Mina's blank look. "Yes, but I wanted to make it sound more romantic than just 'shower sex'".

Mina burst into laughter as Sana whined. "What's wrong with shower sex? I spent a lot of time thinking of things we haven't done with each other in a while! This is supposed to be romantic, not funny!"

Shower sex was one of their favorite activities when they first moved into the apartment together. Sex was still new to them at the time, which led to a variety of experimental sex in different places and positions and discovering that yes, two people could fit into their tiny little shower at the same time and yes, it was very enjoyable to have sex in the shower. But the practice of shower sex was very short lived, suspended soon after it began after one heated session that ended with Sana severely bruising her elbow against the shower wall.

"I'm not laughing at your idea, I swear," Mina insisted between fits of laughter. "You're just so adorable sometimes that I can't help it."

Mina gazed at Sana with a pure kind of happiness in her eyes that Sana hadn't seen since before their chaotic senior year started. Sana was admittedly a little sulky that Mina was still laughing so hard at today's Christmas coupon, but it was worth it when Mina seemed so happy.

"Look," Sana said with playful annoyance, "this coupon's only good until tomorrow morning. So if you're just gonna lie there and laugh about it, I'm gonna give this to someone who actually wants to use it."

It was probably the emptiest threat that Mina had ever heard in her life. She couldn't help but laugh even harder as Sana plucked the coupon from her fingers and got out of bed as though she was on her way to deliver the coupon to its next recipient. But even though Mina knew there was no one else in the world that Sana would've given that coupon to, Mina couldn't help but be a little possessive of her impossibly sweet girlfriend.

She reached out and grabbed Sana's hand before the older girl could get too far, pulling her back and catching Sana in her waiting arms.

"Where do you think you're going with _my_ coupon?" Mina asked, her voice low and dangerous within Sana's ear. Sana was already shivering even before Mina hugged her tightly from behind, one hand slowly climbing up into her shirt as the other ran down her inner thigh. The older girl let out a small gasp as Mina placed a jelly kiss onto her shoulder and she felt the sharp sting of Mina's teeth against her skin.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me that you have another woman in mind, Minatozaki Sana. I won't stand for it."

Mina rarely displayed this kind of possessive behavior, but Sana absolutely loved the feeling of _belonging_ to Mina whenever the younger girl hit a jealous streak. Sana bit her lip and threw her head back with a soft moan as Mina traced gentle cotton candy kisses all over the throbbing bite marks on her shoulder.

"There's no one else in my heart but you," Sana murmured, feeling Mina's smile against her neck. "It's only ever been you, Mittang. It'll only ever be you."

"Good girl," Mina whispered, and the gentle praise set off another shiver of delight through Sana's body. Her fingers trailed to the waistband of Sana's underwear and dipped inside. "Now if we do have shower sex, are you going to lose control and slam your elbow into the wall again?"

A cheeky smile spread across Sana's lips. "Only if you make me come that hard again."

Mina laughed and hugged Sana protectively. "No shower sex unless you can promise me that you'll behave. I don't wanna see my pretty Sattang getting hurt again."

Sana gasped as Mina nibbled her ear gently and she fought back the urge to collapse from the stimulation and revealing how much of a klutz she might become during shower sex. "I-I promise!"

"There's my good girl," Mina murmured, sliding her fingers deeper into Sana's underwear as a reward. She removed her other hand from Sana's breasts, snatching the coupon back from Sana's right hand before pressing it firmly into Sana's left. "I'll take one 'affectionate shower', please."

Sana giggled softly as she shivered under Mina's touch, already drenched even before the shower had even started. "Coming right up."

* * *

The third day of Christmas coupons found Mina and Sana curled up affectionately on their tiny sofa with a book of poetry.

 **[Read a book together]** , the coupon said, and so they did.

"I can't even remember the last time we read together," Mina mused wistfully as Sana snuggled up into her on the sofa. Sana was the little spoon within Mina's arms, keeping their worn copy of Stallworthy's "A Book of Love Poetry" propped up so that Mina could read it out loud for them.

It was such a throwback to their teenage years and the countless afternoons they spent in Mina's bedroom, snug against each other under the covers with Mina reading poetry out loud from the very same book. This was the era after their first lollipop kiss and well before their first chocolate kiss, a time where neither of them truly understood what love meant yet. Their lack of experience and understanding was evidenced by notes they had scribbled into the margins of the poetry book as teenagers, questioning the meaning behind many of the love poems in the collection; notes that they now giggled at as adults.

Sana felt impossibly warm and cozy in Mina's arms with Mina's soothing and lyrical voice in one ear while Mina's steady heartbeat pounded away in her other ear. Her elbow was still throbbing after a minor mishap in the shower yesterday in which she slammed her elbow into the wall yet again, (and the practice of shower sex was also suspended yet again), but Mina was gently rubbing the sore area for her as they laid on the sofa.

 _"This is heaven,"_ Sana thought to herself, listening to Mina finish up Lord Byron's "She Walks In Beauty", one of Sana's favorite poems. _"Life doesn't get any better than this."_ And then Sana felt Mina's lips press gently against her forehead in a warm and gooey caramel kiss and she decided that Mina had just proven her wrong.

"I think I finally understand what all these love poems are talking about now," Mina murmured, humbled by the simple joy of having Sana lying on her chest in the middle of the day in their tiny apartment. "I know what love is."

"Is it this?" Sana wondered softly, her consciousness drifting off into a lazy afternoon nap. "Is it me falling asleep in your arms?"

Mina smiled and held Sana closer, feeling that this mundane moment somehow captured the complex intricacies and simple nuances of their love perfectly. "It is."

"Good," Sana said with a sleepy smile. "Then I know what love is, too."


	6. Cozy Christmas, Part 2 [M]

On the fourth day of Sana's Christmas coupons, Mina and Sana were squished together on their tiny little sofa again with an atmosphere that was decidedly more heated than yesterday's peaceful reading session. Sana couldn't help but stare at Mina face as the younger girl sat in her lap, Mina's cheeks flushed and her breathing shallow, low gasps of appreciation escaping Mina's lips at all the right moments. They were nearly at the climax and Mina was so tense with anticipation that Sana could feel Mina's excitement swelling up to unbearable levels.

And then it finally came, the smash of The Hulk's fist against the Leviathan that hurtled toward the Avengers, a fiery explosion from Iron Man's missile that had chunks of burning Leviathan flesh falling to the ground, and the cinematic swell of music that accompanied the full camera pan of the assembled Avengers, Mina's favorite scene from her favorite Marvel movie.

**[Rent a movie together]**

Mina had unsurprisingly chosen to watch _The Avengers_ for the umpteenth time upon seeing Sana's coupon this morning. Sana had no idea why they didn't already own a copy of the 2012 movie that they had watched more times than they could count, but there was a Blu-ray copy sitting under the Christmas tree for Mina this year, and Sana was pleased to see that Mina was still as excited over the Avengers movie as the first time they watched it as teenagers.

Sana still fondly remembered that date from over six years ago, one where Mina had paid more attention to the screen than to Sana's affections and where Sana had paid more attention to Mina's excitement than to the movie itself. That dynamic still existed to this day whenever they re-watched _The Avengers_. Sana couldn't understand everyone's fascination with superheroes and monsters and over-the-top powers, but Sana loved Mina's love for the genre.

"Whoa, that was so cool. Did you see that!?" Mina asked, turning to Sana with shining eyes and the kind of excitement that made Sana's heart feel light and full of happiness.

Sana's eyes crinkled with utmost affection for Mina, smiling at her with a softness that couldn't be described in words. "Yeah, I saw it," Sana replied fondly.

Mina giggled. "No you didn't. You're just watching me." She pressed her fingers against Sana's cheek and turned the older girl to face the TV. "Watch the movie. You're missing all of the best parts!"

"Fine, fine," Sana relented, turning her attention to the TV in order to appease Mina. But she continued to watch Mina out of the corner of her eye, feeling like she was already catching all the best parts of the movie.

* * *

On the morning of the fifth day, Mina found herself looking at a rather open-ended coupon.

**[Your choice!]**

"'Your choice?'" Mina wondered. "I get to choose whatever I want for today's couple's activity?"

"Whatever you want," Sana confirmed with a nervous smile. After five days of coupons, Mina had grown more comfortable with waking up and opening the little black box on her chest every morning while Sana had grown a little more insecure. "And you don't even have to pick a couple's activity for today. I mean, if you're tired of all the time we've been spending together lately, you could just use the coupon for a day of alone time--I swear I won't mind--and I'll just go off on my own and not bother you at all for the rest of the day and--"

Mina leaned in and kissed Sana slowly, lovingly, her tongue sliding between Sana's lips in a tender lollipop kiss.

"You're rambling," Mina observed, pulling back from Sana just enough to gaze into Sana's slightly anxious face.

"I am?"

"You are. And you only ramble when you're nervous."

"I do?"

"You do," Mina confirmed. She smiled gently at Sana, a hint of concern in her warm brown eyes. "Are you worried that I'm getting bored of hanging out with you?"

"Maybe..." Sana said with slight hesitation, but there was no point in denying the truth when Mina could read her like an open book. Sana felt like she was pressuring Mina to spend more time with her through these childish Christmas coupons.

Mina smiled affectionately at Sana's adverted gaze and sat up in bed. She reached out and pulled Sana towards her, ushering the older girl into her lap and wrapping her up in an encompassing hug. Mina knew there were times when her bubbly and cheerful Sana became very insecure, like right now, and Mina knew that it was partially her fault because while Sana's love was always out in the open with affectionate hugs and kisses and verbal declarations of love, Mina's love was occasionally much more internalized.

Even though Sana knew how much Mina loved her, sometimes it was harder for Sana to trust in Mina's less tangible feelings. So at times like these, it became Mina's job to remind Sana how beautiful she was, how amazing she was, how much Mina loved her to the moon and back and thirty seven times around the universe.

"Have you forgotten that I love you more than anything else in this world, Sattang?" Mina asked gently, sincerely. She nudged her nose against Sana's cheek as Sana settled comfortably into her lap.

"Maybe," Sana replied softly, repeating her last response with a tad less insecurity than before. 

"And have you forgotten that my favorite thing to do in this whole world is to hang out with you?" Mina whispered tenderly into Sana's ear.

"Maybe," Sana said with a shy smile, her insecurities disappearing as she sat within Mina's protective hug.

"So then you've definitely forgotten that no matter how much time we spend together, I would still choose to hang out with you over anything else. Tsk tsk," Mina scolded her girlfriend playfully. "We're gonna have to do something about that."

The younger girl reached across the bed to the discarded black velvet box and coupon. She picked up the folded piece of paper and pressed it gently into Sana's open palm. "I'm officially using today's coupon to hang out with you, Sattang."

Sana blushed slightly under Mina's tender affection, her hand closing around the coupon and Mina's warm fingers at the same time. "I officially accept."

"It's not like you could've refused anyway. I see no fine print on this coupon that says you can reject it," Mina laughed. She fell back onto their pillows and pulled Sana with her.

Sana rolled her eyes as she stretched out against the younger girl, draping herself comfortably across Mina's chest. "Did you have something specific in mind that you wanted to do today?"

Mina thought about it for a moment. "PUBG marathon please. It's been a while since we played video games together. Let's play Duo mode!"

Sana smiled at Mina, unable to think of a better way for them to spend their fifth day together leading up to Christmas. "An afternoon of headshots and bloody deaths? How romantic," Sana laughed.

* * *

A return to a more traditional kind of romance came on day six, when Sana presented Mina with a coupon that said:

**[Make a romantic dinner for Mina]**

"Do you really expect me to just sit here while you try to cook a full dinner on your own?" Mina asked as she sat on the sofa with a glass of wine, waiting for dinner to appear in front of her. She could hear Sana bustling around in the kitchen to prepare tonight's ambitious dinner of braised beef and veggies and a tray of brownies for dessert.

"I'm fine!" Sana called out from the kitchen. "Just enjoy your wine and I'll have dinner on the table before you--ahhh!"

Mina bolted up from the sofa and rushed over to the kitchen to find a jumbled mess of bakeware on the floor. Sana was a little frazzled, but otherwise unhurt.

"Looks like today's coupon is a couple's activity after all," Mina grinned as she threw on her apron. There was no way she could endure a whole hour of listening to Sana fumbling around in the kitchen on her own.

"But Mittang, _I'm_ supposed to cook dinner for _you_. This is supposed to be romantic!" Sana complained.

"But it's more fun if we do it together," Mina reasoned. "What's more romantic than that?"

Sana continued to pout over the change in plans, so Mina decided to try another approach. "Let's do it like this: every time one of us makes a mistake while cooking, we have to kiss the other person. Romance and fun guaranteed."

With a small sigh, Sana nodded and agreed to Mina's suggestion. She really wanted to cook this dinner for Mina on her own, but they had a bigger chance of eating something edible tonight if Mina helped her. And the kissing angle did sound kind of fun.

"OK, fine. What counts as a mistake though?" Sana wondered. She stacked up the fallen cookie sheets and baking pans, placing them on the edge of the counter before promptly knocking them back to the ground by accident. Sana looked up at Mina and found the younger girl tapping her lips gently, smugly demanding a kiss for Sana's latest blunder. With an amused smile, Sana gave her a quick marshmallow kiss.

"I see," Sana said, picking up the bakeware much more carefully this time. "This'll be fun after all."

An hour of cooking later, the beef and veggies simmered on the stove as the brownies baked, and Mina had kissed Sana four times while Sana had given Mina thirty two kisses.

"Oh no, was that sugar?" Sana murmured after throwing a pinch of white powder into the pot of meat and veggies. She tasted the remainder on her fingers and wrinkled her nose. "Whoops, I meant to season with salt." She went over and placed a warm and languid lollipop kiss on Mina's lips as payment for the mistake before going to fetch the container of salt, not noticing the small groan of desire that escaped Mina's lips as they broke from the kiss.

Mina couldn't tell anymore if Sana was making mistakes on accident or on purpose. After thirty three kisses, each one seemingly better than the last, all Mina knew was that Sana was steadily stoking the fire that was slowly building up in the pit of her stomach. Mina was getting hungry now, and not just for dinner.

Sana returned to the stove with the salt, diligently seasoning and stirring and oblivious to the burning look of desire in Mina's eyes as the younger girl approached her from behind.

"I think it's almost done," Sana said with her back still to Mina. "Maybe another five minutes?"

Sana let out a small gasp as Mina unexpectedly spun her around and kissed her roughly, her tongue pressing into Sana's mouth and her teeth biting Sana's lips gently in a melty chocolate kiss full of passion.

"Hmm? What was your mistake?" Sana murmured, smiling as she rested her forehead against Mina's.

"A terrible mistake," Mina replied coyly. Her voice was hushed and throaty, almost desperate for Sana's attention. "I should've told you how badly I wanted you to touch me sooner."

Sana blinked, completely taken aback by the lustful confession. She was so absorbed in trying to cook properly that she missed the many cues indicating how aroused Mina had become as they cooked together under the kiss-filled cooking conditions. Sana's heart started to race as she noticed the hungry look in Mina's eyes and she quickly leaned in to kiss Mina back just as deeply, just as urgently.

Mina rarely ever initiated sex in their relationship. Mina loved sex just as much as Sana did, but Sana was by far the hungrier of the two and her sexual appetite kept them both well fed. But whenever Mina did initiate, it ignited a kind of frenzy in Sana that made the older girl drop whatever she was doing to satisfy her hungry Mittang.

Sana pushed Mina back into the counter with a rough kiss, at the same time trying to sweep away whatever items were sitting on the counter top behind Mina. A set of measuring spoons were haphazardly pushed onto the stove, a pot holder and the recipe card fell to the floor. Sana was creating a mess, but neither of them cared. Sana's kisses were deep and messy and sweet, and Mina could feel her body growing hotter with each intense kiss.

"That's at least two more mistakes," Mina mumbled against Sana's lips, kicking the fallen soy sauce bottle out of the way of Sana's path of destruction.

"Charge me a hundred mistakes if you want because I'll kiss you at least that many times." It was a promise that Sana immediately started working on as she lifted the front of Mina's shirt in order to lay a line of fiery strawberry kisses down the length of Mina's chest, as her tongue began to eagerly lap the fullness of Mina's breasts.

Mina laughed at the fervor of Sana's attention. Whenever Mina was in the mood first, it almost felt like Sana was the one who was more aroused than usual as she devoted herself to making the experience as pleasurable as possible for Mina. And Mina was more than happy to sit back and let Sana do her thing, running her fingers through Sana's hair as Sana's hands slid down Mina's taut stomach and gently removed her pants and underwear. Mina quickly reached over and turned down the heat on the bubbling pot as Sana lifted her onto the newly cleared counter top and there was a sudden shift in Sana's pace.

The urgent atmosphere slowed to a crawl as Sana leaned in and kissed Mina with a languid kind of desperation that caused the younger girl's body to groan with anticipation. Sana's hands stroked the inside of Mina's thighs as Sana's mouth trailed down her neck and chest and stomach leisurely, leaving cotton candy kisses in its wake before Sana's tongue dove deep between her dripping folds and Sana ate her out with slow and deliberate strokes. Mina leaned her head back against the upper cabinet, one leg thrown over Sana's shoulder, one hand laced through Sana's long brown hair and pulling her closer, the other hand blinding reaching out to silence the oven timer in the background.

"S-sattang, the brownies... they're gonna--they're gonna--" Mina mumbled between shuddered breaths, "they're gonna burn."

Sana straightened up and kissed Mina with utmost tenderness, her fingers now rubbing steadily between Mina's quivering thighs. "Let them burn," she whispered into Mina's mouth. "Just focus on me, Mittang, only on me. Does it feel good?"

The younger girl nodded and Sana smiled proudly, quickening the movements of her fingers. "Tell me how good it feels."

Mina closed her eyes and moaned, positively writhing under the intense touch of Sana's fingers. "It's good, so, so good..." She arched her back as her fingers gripped onto the edge of the counter. "Sa-Sattang, I'm gonna--"

Sana nibbled Mina's ear gently, high on the thrill of pushing Mina over the edge. "Come for me, Mittang," she whispered, and it was all that Mina needed to lose herself. She moaned loudly, her arms suddenly around Sana's neck for support as she came all over the counter top, a wet mess splashing into Sana's hand and spilling onto the floor.

It was indescribably satisfying for Sana to watch and to feel Mina come beautifully in her arms, intense and lingering, before leaning back against the cabinet with soft whimpers as Sana soothed and praised her lovingly. She pulled Mina forward gently onto her shoulder, happily supporting Mina and hugging her, wanting to be even closer to Mina as she slowly came down from the powerful orgasm.

"This was by far the most romantic dinner you've ever made me," Mina murmured into Sana's ear after several moments, still thoroughly exhausted. Sana laughed and kissed Mina's forehead gently, feeling like this was the most romantic dinner she had ever prepared for Mina, too.

Fifteen minutes later, they sat down at the coffee table to a dinner of overcooked beef, soggy veggies, and slightly burnt brownies, but the wine was good, the company was even better, and they were both thoroughly satiated.


	7. Cozy Christmas, Part 3

Sana watched over Mina fondly on Christmas morning as the younger girl slept. The tiny black box sat on Mina's chest for the seventh day in a row, the sight of which caused Sana's heart to dip and soar with a spectrum of emotions.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest the moment that Mina started to wake up. Time slowed in that instant and all Sana could hear was the faint rustle of sheets as Mina stirred, the soft breath of amusement as Mina's hands instinctively closed around the tiny black box, and the deafening sound of her own heart beating furiously within her chest.

"Merry Christmas, Sattang," Mina murmured, turning to give Sana a sleepy smile that was radiant enough to melt the snow that covered Osaka. Her gentle voice was laced with softness, affection, and the raspiness of sleep.

With a tender smile, Sana leaned over and nudged her nose against Mina's, silently asking for a morning kiss and receiving permission instantly. She basked in the warmth of Mina's lips for a moment before returning the festive greeting. "Merry Christmas to you too, Mittang." 

Today was a slow morning, one of Sana's most favorite things in the world. She loved waking up with Mina and simply enjoying her girlfriend's presence, cuddling with Mina, kissing Mina, letting time slip away from them as though they didn't have a care in the world. Slow mornings were always cozy and relaxing--except for today because Sana was acutely aware of the little black box clutched within Mina's hand.

The younger girl let out a sigh of content as she settled back against her pillow, turning to gaze into Sana's eyes with an affectionate smile on her lips. "So this box," Mina wondered out loud, directing her attention to the box that Sana had placed on her chest for the seventh day straight without fail, "is there something special in here today, or is it another coupon?"

Mina gave the box a light shake that rattled Sana's heart more than it rattled the box's contents, and Sana could only hold her breath and try to keep up her usual air of mischievousness, acting as though there was nothing special about today even though today had the potential to become a major turning point in their relationship.

"I told you in the beginning that there would be seven days of coupons," Sana replied as Mina began to open the box. "So it's just another coupon for today..."

And _really_ , it was just another coupon inside the box for today. But really, it wasn't _just_ another coupon inside the box for today. Mina picked up the piece of paper carefully with both hands before reading it out loud.

**[Eternally be in love with Mina. No expiration date.]**

"Why no expiration date?" Mina wondered with a curious smile as she looked up from the paper in her hands. "Every other coupon expired within a day. How come this one is different?"

"Because... if you're not ready to use this coupon today, I-I wanted you to be able to hold on to it until you were ready," Sana explained, her voice trembling a bit. She smiled at her girlfriend while feeling shaky and unsteadied, nervous about what was to come.

Mina's eyes softened impossibly as she gazed at Sana, sensing Sana's anxiety and wanting to ease it. "And if I did want to use this coupon today, would YOU be ready for me to use it?"

Sana swallowed deeply, her answer tremulous but sincere. "I think I've been ready for this since the moment I first kissed you."

From the twinkle in Mina's eyes, there was no doubt in Sana's mind that Mina understood what was being implied with today's coupon. Mina was expecting to see an engagement ring when she redeemed her coupon, and she was right to expect it. After all, how could Mina expect anything less when seven days' worth of Christmas coupons had been delivered to her inside an engagement ring box.

The seven day event had been Sana's way of gauging Mina's reaction to her planned proposal. If Mina had panicked at all after seeing the engagement ring box on the first day, Sana would've delivered the remaining coupons without the box and concluded the event with a far less significant coupon on Christmas day. But since Mina had shown no signs of being afraid of the potential commitment, Sana was prepared to go ahead with her original plan.

It had been both easy and hard for Sana to come to the realization that she wanted to marry Mina. Easy was knowing her own heart and trusting in the fact that it beated only for Mina, that she both needed and wanted to love Mina for all eternity. Hard was believing that Mina wanted to love her for all eternity as well. In a way, the seven day coupon event was as much about Sana building up her own courage for the eventual proposal as it was about ensuring that Mina was ready to receive the proposal. And after seeing how increasingly happy Mina became throughout the week as they continued to spend more quality time together, Sana had all the courage she needed to take the next step.

Mina smiled wistfully at Sana before looking back down at the coupon in her hands. Her slender fingers played with the slip of paper for a few silent moments, and Sana could sense that the weight of the tiny coupon was growing heavier by the second.

"It's OK if you're not ready to redeem this today," Sana murmured softly. She placed her hand on top of Mina's reassuringly to convey the same feelings. "Remember, there's no expiration date on this. You can redeem it a decade from now if you wanted to."

"I'm ready, Sattang. I promise you that." A gentle, shaky laugh fell from Mina's lips. "My heart feels more ready for this moment than I ever imagined possible. But it's scary, you know? That transition from not ready to ready and taking our relationship one step further." Mina sighed and looked into Sana's eyes with a troubled expression on her face, her fingers tightening impossibly around the coupon as though she wouldn't be able to place it into Sana's hand. "You were always better than me at pushing our boundaries and keeping our relationship moving forward. Whenever the decision falls to me, I become such a coward."

The older girl smiled, recognizing the obstacle that Mina was up against. She sat up in bed and pulled Mina towards her, turning the younger girl around into a back hug. Then she draped the blanket around their shoulders like a protective cape and held Mina against her in a cozy embrace.

"Do you remember the night when you first told me you loved me?" Sana murmured into Mina's ear. The younger girl laughed instantly, embarrassed by her daring actions at 17 years old.

They were in Sana's room having a sleepover when Mina confessed to Sana just before bedtime. Mina still remembered how the blood in her head was pounding so hard that she was about to pass out, how her heart was beating so furiously that she was on the verge of a heart attack, how she was so deeply in love with Minatozaki Sana that Mina thought she might die if she didn't confess to the older girl right then and there.

Sana's kisses were too good during their private sleepover, an endless stream of marshmallow and lollipop kisses that rendered Mina helpless for most of the evening. When at last Sana pulled away, murmuring something about how they probably should go to bed, Mina was unable to contain the feelings that were threatening to spill out on their own.

Too nervous to look Sana in the eye, Mina pulled Sana into her lap and draped a blanket around them, holding Sana close to her for strength and comfort and to keep Sana from turning around and shattering the tiny bit of confidence that Mina was clinging to.

And then Mina said the words that neither of them had ever said to each other before, whispering a heartfelt and sincere, "I love you more than anything else in this world."

A wave of warmth crashed over Sana as Mina confessed to her so honestly, a raw edge of vulnerability laced through each and every tender word. And Sana felt so lucky that Mina had been brave enough to voice the words that had danced around on the tip of Sana's tongue for months, words that Sana had been unable to say herself.

The older girl turned her head and searched for Mina's lips over her shoulder, kissing Mina softly and easing the tension in their hearts. "I love you more than anything else in this world too, Mittang. No matter what happens, I'll be with you always."

Mina's chest swelled with an immense feeling of relief and joy as she hugged Sana even tighter, grateful that she had mustered up the courage to confess. "Me too, Sattang, I promise I'll be with you always, too."

The night of their first confession was now a four year old memory, one that was ingrained so deeply in Sana's heart that she still remembered it with perfectly clarity as she sat with Mina in her lap on Christmas morning.

"You were so brave the night that you confessed to me, Mittang."

Mina scoffed lightly at herself. "That wasn't brave. I didn't even have the courage to say it to your face."

"It doesn't matter how you said it. The fact is that you _said_ it. I never would've been able to tell you I loved you if you hadn't said it first, so don't ever think that I'm the only one pushing this relationship forward. _You are brave, Myoui Mina._ "

Mina turned around and kissed Sana deeply, a slow kiss that caused Sana's heart to stutter in her chest because something about this kiss was different than usual. Mina slid her hands into Sana's as they kissed, lacing their fingers together and holding on like her life depended on it. And when at last the kiss ended and Mina pulled her hands away, Sana was so dazed that it took her a few moments to register that Mina had slipped the coupon into her palm as they held hands.

"I'd like to redeem this coupon today," Mina said boldly, a confident smile returning to her face.

And that was Sana's cue. There was no need to ask if Mina was ready because Mina's eyes radiated with conviction, her gaze full of the intense bravery that Sana always knew she possessed.

Sana reached into the pocket of her fuzzy pajama bottoms and pulled out a tiny velvet box that was identical to the one that held the Christmas coupons. She carefully opened it with shaky fingers to reveal a diamond engagement ring, her heart soaring when Mina gasped at the sight of it.

"Mittang, I've been in love with you for longer than I can even remember. You make me the happiest person in the world whenever I'm with you, whenever I even think of you, and I know I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I want to be with you forever, Mittang..."

Sana paused mid-proposal, the ring box still held out to the woman she loved, not realizing how truly difficult it was going to be to actually ask the ultimate question. The thought of hearing Mina say "no" was so painful and scary that Sana couldn't help but lose her courage. And Mina, understanding this, leaned in and gave Sana a reassuring marshmallow kiss.

"Ask me your question, Sattang," Mina murmured kindly, urging Sana to be brave. "I promise, it'll be OK." She gave Sana another marshmallow kiss for courage, and then one more for good luck.

Marshmallow kisses were always a magical kind of kiss for Mina and Sana. They were the beginning of every morning, they were the ending of every night. They were the catalyst for their friendship at 9 years old, and now they were the catalyst for their engagement at 21.

Sana smiled and took a deep breath, savoring the hint of warmth that Mina's lips had left on her own. "Mittang, will you marry me?"

And even though Sana was expecting the, "yes" that followed instantly, she was still amazed at how Mina's reply sent shivers down her spine, how that simple "yes" ignited a hundred fireworks inside of her heart all at once. Mina's eyes twinkled with affection and Sana kissed her deeply, wanting to make the fireworks go on forever.

They giggled as they hugged each other and felt the relief wash over their tense and nervous hearts. And then Mina turned her attention over to the ring in Sana's hand, _her ring_ , and examined it closely with muted awe. 

"Do you like it?" Sana asked.

Mina nodded. "I love it, I really do. And I really love you, too."

Sana slid the ring onto Mina's finger and Mina was amazed at how much it felt like the ring belonged there, as though this ring existed to be worn by only her. Mina gazed into her fiance's warm eyes and smiled, enjoying the feelings of happiness and excitement and peace, knowing that she had an eternity of Sana's love to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I hope you enjoyed the final chapter of Cozy Living, the fluffy Misana college AU that was only ever meant to be a one shot, but grew into something bigger because of all your love and support for the story. :) Thank you for staying until the end. Please leave kudos and comments if you haven't already done so!
> 
> Hit me up on Twitter or curious cat if you have any questions:
> 
> Twitter: @misamosquito  
> https://curiouscat.me/ZeroHorizon
> 
> RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU NOTICED THE SPECIAL MESSAGE HIDDEN IN SANA'S COUPONS. XD
> 
> Day 1: [M]ake breakfast in bed for Mina  
> Day 2: [A]ffectionate shower with Sana  
> Day 3: [R]ead a book together  
> Day 4: [R]ent a movie together  
> Day 5: [Y]our choice!!  
> Day 6: [M]ake a romantic dinner for Mina  
> Day 7: [E]ternally be in love with Mina
> 
>  
> 
> So to be perfectly honest, I do have more content planned for this AU, but I think we've reached a pretty perfect stopping point and I'd like to try out some new AUs and ships in the future. (High school AU? BDZ-inspired vigilante AU, anyone? 👀). Maybe I'll come back to this AU in the distant future, but please anticipate new stories in the meantime! Thank you for reading!!


	8. Gift For The Readers

Happy Misana day, everyone! As a gift for all the support I received on "Cozy Living", I'm releasing the story as an ebook. Download links from Dropbox are below. You'll find 2 versions of the ebook. The first version uses the cover I've been using on AO3/AFF. The second version is a special one created by @kyokoriing on Twitter. :)

If you download the ebook, please leave an upvote/comment if you haven't already done so!

[Dropbox Link](http://bit.ly/Dropbox-CozyLiving)

Thank you all so much for reading "Cozy Living". It's one of my favorite works that I've written so far and I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Version 1 Cover: 

Version 2 Cover: 


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